Advertising on the world wide web has brought a new vehicle with which companies can reach consumers in an attempt to sell products. Delivery of web applications to mobile communications devices, such as cell phones, personal data assistants (PDAs) and hybrid devices combining functions of both, provides a clear example of an emerging area for innovation in internet delivery. Wireless application protocol (WAP) allows for standardized coding of web content for wireless devices, which can include mobile communications devices.
The method used to serve content to the user, in addition to the type of content served, presents opportunities as well as difficulties. While users can browse the web in a relatively uniform manner because of WAP, the device's small user interface limits the page visually in a manner that desktop and laptop browsers do not encounter. Users must scroll up or down on a mobile communications device to read an amount of text that would be easily displayed on a single screen for a desktop or laptop computer. Often times on wireless applications, side to side scrolling is limited or non-existent which imposes another spatial hindrance. Because wireless devices primarily rely on text and basic graphics for the web-browsing experience, this restricts the amount of information an advertisement can convey without losing the interest of the user.
There also are features of this platform which can make browsing the web more difficult and therefore add challenges to the production of effective ads. There are limitations to navigation of the browser's web page because most devices in this category do not have a mouse input similar to a desktop or laptop computer. For example, in most cell phones, typically there are only one to two additional inputs besides the small keyboard or keypad included on the unit itself. These inputs are usually small two-direction or four-direction buttons, also built into the device, which allow for the user to scroll up and down or side to side.
However, use of digital content such as audio or video, which do not require user interaction once executed, help to overcome many of these problems. The amount of content is limited only by the file size of the content, rather than the display area. The difficulties of navigation are bypassed as well. As a result, wireless web advertising would be greatly improved a solution that delivers digital content that is more suited to the primary purpose of the device.